Wind Turbine on 24M Mast with a Blade Tip Development: Height of 34.6M
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Allerdale Borough Council 2/2012/0635 Reference No: 2/2012/0635 Received: 16 August 2012 Proposed Erection of Endurance wind turbine on 24m mast with a blade tip Development: height of 34.6m. Resubmission to 2/2012/0425 Location: Leesrigg Farm Mealsgate Aspatria Wigton Applicant: Mr B Carr Drawing Numbers: 001 - General Location Plan 002 - Location Plan 003 - Heritage Assets Location Plan 004 - Block Plan E-3120-50kW Monopole Rev A - Proposed Elevation amended plan received 9 April 2013 Supporting Information Design and Access Statement Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment, Appendix 1 Report of Likely Impact of Proposed Turbine on Setting of Heritage Asset Appendix 2 Heritage Assets Location Plan Desk Top Bird survey Wind Noise Email received 12 September 2012 Generalised Noise Predictions Photomontages Viewpoints 1, 2 and 3 Constraints: British Coal Area PROW(PLN) 203001 Policies: National Planning Policy Framework Allerdale Local Plan, Adopted 1999 (Saved) Policy CO13 - The setting of a Conservation Area Policy CO18 - Setting of a Listed building Policy EM17 - Renewable Energy Policy EN6 - Location of potentially polluting development Policy EN10 - Restoration, after uses cease Policy EN19 - Landscape Protection Policy EN24 - Protecting Historic Parks and gardens Policy EN25 - Protecting the open countryside Policy EN32 - Protecting wildlife protected by law Policy EN5 - Pollution Control Relevant Planning Screening Opinion letter dated 28 September 2/2012/0635. History: None EIA Development. Representations: Boltons P arish Council Objection. On the grounds of cumulative impact with turbines at High Pow, Wharrels Hill and with the consented schemes at Tallentire and West Newton. Also with regard to sequential cumulative impact and the loss of visual amenity to residents of Allhallows and surrounding parishes. All Hallows PCC Objection. Due to: - The location of the church yard and the visual impact on the locality. - The listed Old Church and churchyard is still open to use as a graveyard and for outdoor worship. - The route of the Kingate to Harby Brow footpath and the adverse affect on tourism and the use of the footpath by parishioners. - The wind turbine development may cause stress and add to a feeling of the rural communities feeling of isolation and being disenfranchised. - Concerned about the proliferation of turbines in the locality. Natural England - No objection. RSPB - The applicant has undertaken a desk based bird survey. Based on the location of the turbine and with this additional information, the RSPB broadly agree with the summary of the desk based report, which concludes that the proposal does not appear to be in a key feeding area for bird species sensitive to wind turbine developments. Disturbance displacement is considered to be unlikely. The RSPB would suggest a precautionary approach for turbines near bird sensitive alert area. The proposed turbines are in close proximity to an ‘alert’ area for pink footed geese. Cumbria Wildlife Trust - objection based on lack of ecological assessment. English Heritage - The application should be determined in accordance with national and local policy guidance, and on the basis of your specialist conservation advice. Defence Infrastructure Organisation - The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has no objection to the proposal. Environmental Health - No objection subject to planning conditions relating to noise levels. Cumbria Highways - No objections subject to planning conditions. Natural England - An EIA is not required for this application. The site is not located within, adjacent to or in close proximity to any Special Site of Scientific Interest (SSSI), Special Area of Conservation (SAC), or Special Protection Area (SPA) or Ramsar site. The site is not within, nor is sufficiently close to a National Park, AONB, or Heritage Coast to impact upon the purposes for which the sites are designated. The development was considered not likely to affect any significant population of protected species sufficient to require an EIA. County Archaeologist - No objections Civil Aviation Authority - No objection NATS Safeguarding - No objection Aquirva - No objection Allerdale BC Access Officer - No objections Cumbria County Council - Do not consider the proposal for a Category 1 Application. The application has been advertised on site, and adjoining owners have been notified. 5 letters of support: No adverse effect on Riglees Bungalow; no objection from English Heritage; impact on listed building negligible, unlikely to adversely affect safety; research has shown that pink footed geese avoid wind turbines. 43 letters of objection have been received: • Through the siting, size of the turbine and the prominence, the proposal would have a major adverse impact on the existing landscape character and the visual amenity of the existing area and wider landscape; • Unacceptable impacts on residential property by nature of its height and proximity to residential homes; • Danger to ecology, particularly birds; • Public safety risk due to blade failure, structural failure and fire and ice throw; • More carbon dioxide is created building the wind turbines than it saves during its lifetime; • EIA should be required; • There should be reuse of resources; • Does not support tourism; • Does not enhance or value the landscape; • The landscape is at capacity for wind turbines; • Noise issues; • Not clear if the scheme is for commercial purposes; • High Pow Farm wind farm is not mentioned; • Within 5km there are 6 other turbines either already built, approved, plus 11 pending or in scoping; • Cumulative effects both from static viewpoints and in sequence when travelling; • Recent applications in the surrounding area that need to be taken into account are turbines at Edderside, Pelutho and Tarns and each turbine adds to the cumulative baseline. • Residents of Watchhill have a panoramic view of most turbines within this part of Allerdale, including the Hellrigg array; • The cumulative effect of turbine developments in the area is now dominating and defining, creating an effect which is industrialising and altering the qualities of our rural landscapes and the tipping point has been reached if not surpassed; • The electricity pylons are already dominant features in the landscape and masts at Anthorne and Caldbeck; • Stressful for local residents; • Adversely effect on tourism and Cumbria Tourism has objected to scheme; • Back up power required; • Inefficient; • Solway Plain part of Hadrian’s Wall trail; • A George Moor Trail should be developed and this will adversely affect tourism assets; • Turbines produce more co2 than save and makes no difference to global warming; • High costs to tax payers to support subsidies; • Not domestic scale; • Disturbs sleep patterns; • Inefficient noise assessment; • Adversely affects footpaths; • 30 turbines either built or to be built within 5km of the site; • Coal mining activities may affect surface stability; • Turbines should be at sea; • Visible from Skiddaw and Lake District National Park; • Adversely affects grade 1 listed Harby Brow Peel Tower; • Adverse effect on tranquil setting; • Viewpoints do not show visual impact, a much clearer view of visual impact when moving west along the B5299; • No viewpoint from Watchill which has a rising land; • The locality is becoming a ‘field’ of turbines; • The landscape is becoming blighted; • There is negligible contribution to power supply; • There has been a proliferation of small scale turbines • Within 100m is a well used footpath; • Close to Old Allhallows church and grave yard; • Negative house values. Friends of Rural Cumbria Environment (Force) Force have objected to the scheme on the following grounds: • The assessment of cumulative impact that the turbine would have is inadequate; • There is a cumulative impact of greater than local importance; • The turbine is out of scale and proportion to the surrounding countryside and the necessity for a machine of the size has not been demonstrated; • The proposal does not produce any benefit which would outweigh its detrimental impact and the harm to local amenity; • The agent has supplied insufficient noise data to ensure the well being of occupants of houses which are close to the occupation site; • A number of sensitive residential receptors in the area have been so far excluded from the assessment of effects. • Visual intrusion from listed buildings Harby Brow (450m), Whitehall (700m) and disused church (600m). • Impact on local residents and visitors on this unspoiled and tranquil part of the countryside. • Cumulative effect with other turbine developments within the area (Wharrels Hill, High Pow). • Travelling along the West Cumbria Coast along the major routes of the A595 and A596 towards Carlisle, the following operation turbine developments are visible: Winscales, Hellrigg, Wharrel Hill, High Pow and Great Orton and 4 turbines have been installed at Lanrigg within the last year. Also along the A596 is the Flimby turbine development and work has commenced on the 6 turbines at Tallentire and the turbine development at West Newton. Further turbine development is proposed at Winscales and the Orton area. The operator at High Pow want to put up a further 3 turbines. • In the immediate area around Leesrigg Farm there are turbine developments at Crookdale and High Aketon. Cumbria Tourist Board - Concerned that the proposal for a wind turbine in this location will have a detrimental impact on a major tourism development project at Brayton Lake Lodges, near Aspatria.